Treesoft CAD Basics—Even for Professionals

Speaker: Julia Homberg – Service

Understand ACC. Find commands faster. Plan projects more efficiently.

You’re already working with Treesoft CAD—perhaps even for many years now. But do you understand the logic behind its operation, the symbol names, the text formats, the catalogs, and the labeling functions?

Many functions are used every day without users being fully aware of all their capabilities and how they relate to one another. That’s exactly where this workshop comes in. Julia Homberg will not only show you where to find a function, but—more importantly—why Treesoft CAD works this way and how the various functions interact with one another.

The focus is on our ACC—Accelerated CAD Control, Treesoft’s accelerated CAD control system. Once you understand the system behind it, you’ll find commands more easily, use the keyboard and mouse more effectively, and tailor Treesoft CAD to your personal and business needs.

This workshop is therefore explicitly not intended solely for beginners. Experience has shown that even experienced users discover numerous features and concepts that they have previously used only partially or have not yet fully understood.

There will be plenty of time for your questions. Julia will walk you through the features at a leisurely pace and explain the concepts behind them using practical examples.

Here’s what you’ll take away from the workshop

You’ll find out,

how the ACC operating concept is structured and why it can significantly speed up your work,
how to find features, icons, and articles more quickly,
how to effectively adapt Treesoft CAD to your workflow,
how symbol names, text formats, catalogs, and labeling rules work together,
how to avoid common mistakes when creating symbols, interpreting them, and labeling equipment,
and why some methods, while technically possible, are nevertheless unnecessarily time-consuming.

Understanding ACC—The Logic Behind Its Fast Operation

Have you ever entered an email address, a password, or a search term using a TV’s on-screen keyboard? If so, you know how tedious it is to select each individual character with a remote control. It’s much faster with a keyboard.

That is precisely why, ever since its first version, Treesoft CAD has been consistently designed for fast operation using the keyboard and mouse. ACC stands for Accelerated CAD Control. This is not just a random collection of keyboard shortcuts, but a consistent operating concept based on contextual and spatial relationships.

As long as you don’t enter any text, the keyboard is available in drawing mode for direct command input. That’s why a single key is all it takes for many of the most important drawing functions:

[L] for line
[K] for district
[R] for a rectangle
[T] for text
[P] for point
[S] for hatching

Not every function can be conveniently accessed using the first letter of its name. That’s why ACC also makes use of the physical layout of the keys. A good example is the keys located right next to each other [,], [.] and [-]:

Use [.] you can select the next start or end point of a line, the reference point of a symbol, or the corner point of a rectangle.
Using the button to the left of it [,] , you can move to the next placeholder text to be labeled and simultaneously start the corresponding labeling function.
Using the button to the right of it [-] , you can select a supply item icon and assign the corresponding item numbers to it.

By [Strg] and the corresponding key, you can usually bring up the associated expanded menu.

Julia will show you how to internalize this logic and combine different commands in a way that lets you work much more smoothly and avoid unnecessary back-and-forth between the mouse, menus, and toolbars.

ACC goes far beyond keyboard shortcuts

The names of our symbols also follow a defined system. Experienced users therefore often do not select a symbol from the catalog tree, but instead use [F4] the “Set Symbol” function and enter part of the symbol name directly.

The first letter of the symbol name is based on the equipment’s identification letter. For example, you can find it by:

X the terminals,
Q the corresponding switching devices,
S Switches and pushbuttons,
QM Motor circuit breaker,
QL Circuit breaker.

The name also determines which identification letter Treesoft CAD will use to label the equipment. No additional information from you is required, which significantly speeds up the labeling process.

A symbol’s properties can also be encoded in its name. For example, STRS refers to a latching switch or pushbutton with a normally open contact, while SDRO describes a latching rotary switch with a normally open function.

You’ll find the same principle in the matchcodes for Treesoft text formats:

AO for top connection,
B3 for a BMK text with a height of 3.5 mm,
QT for a cross-reference in the detailed view.

Once you become familiar with this system, you won’t have to spend time searching for commands, icons, and formats. In this workshop, Julia will help you understand the logic behind it and apply it to your daily work.

Customize the Start Center to Suit Your Work Style

The Start Center is much more than just a list of recently used projects. It can be customized to fit your personal tasks and workflows.

Among other things, Julia will show you:

how to create your own widgets,
how to organize widgets effectively,
how to disable widgets you don't need,
how to reactivate hidden widgets,
and how to set up a Start Center that truly supports you in your daily work.

This way, you can start working efficiently as soon as you launch Treesoft CAD.

Find symbols and articles faster

Almost every Treesoft CAD user uses the “Set Symbol via Catalog Tree” feature. But are you actually taking full advantage of all the possibilities offered by the [F2]function? When is the “Set Symbol” [F4]the better choice?

In this workshop, we’ll show you:

how to show and hide the individual windows,
how to move the catalog windows to a second screen with a single command,
what the buttons in the "Article" and "Icon Name" dock windows mean,
how to find symbols and articles using different search methods,
when it makes sense to use the catalog tree for selection,
and when you [F4] and by typing the icon name directly, you'll get there much faster.

Not only will you learn about different methods, but you’ll also discover which one is best suited for each task.

Your Own Catalog—The Foundation for Efficient Work

A well-organized custom catalog saves you time every day. Frequently used symbols, macros, and items are right where you expect them to be.

If you’d like, Julia will show you:

how to set up and maintain your own catalog,
how to assign the appropriate symbols to items,
how to import symbols and items from an external catalog into your own catalog,
how to develop a practical and sustainable catalog structure,
what the exclamation point at the root of a catalog means,
and how to address the underlying cause.

A well-structured custom catalog is an important part of product customization. The better Treesoft CAD is tailored to your recurring tasks, the less time you’ll spend searching—and the more time you’ll have for the actual project planning.

Creating Symbols Correctly and Using Text Formats with Confidence

When creating your own symbols, it’s not just about how the symbol looks on the screen. It’s also crucial that it can later be properly labeled, analyzed, and incorporated into wiring diagrams, bills of materials, or other reports.

One of the most important principles is therefore the consistent use of the existing Treesoft text formats. They ensure a uniform presentation and provide the link to the intended labeling and evaluation functions.

In the workshop, we will address the following topics, among others:

what lies behind the different text formats,
what information is controlled by a text format,
why "top connection" and "bottom connection" should actually be used for the corresponding connection labels,
what effects an incorrect assignment can have on the terminal diagram,
why freely defined text formats often lead to unnecessary problems,
and why you should contact customer service if you seem to be missing a text format.

A seemingly missing text format is often an indication that a suitable format already exists or that a planned labeling or evaluation logic has been overlooked. Julia shows you how to identify the correct format and use it effectively.

Here, too, you’ll encounter the ACC principle again: terms such as AO, B3 or QT are not chosen at random, but are meant to help you quickly identify the required text format.

Making the Most of Labeling Rules and Equipment Identification Marks

Why Leaf/Path Labeling Is Often the Worse Choice These Days

We repeatedly find that even in newly created projects, sheet/path labeling is still being used. This is often justified by the fact that many existing standard schematics were labeled according to this rule.

In this workshop, we’ll show you:

what advantages structured and standards-based equipment labeling offers,
why this makes subsequent changes and additions, in particular, easier,
how equipment can be uniquely identified regardless of its current location,
and how Treesoft CAD can automatically adapt existing schematics to the labeling rules of the active project when importing them.

So you don’t have to abandon existing standard schematics just because you want to use a more modern labeling convention in new projects.

Here, too, you’ll encounter the ACC principle again: terms such as AO, B3 or QT are not chosen at random, but are meant to help you quickly identify the required text format.

Symbolic BMKs – Copy Without Losing Assignments

Symbolic equipment codes are a special Treesoft feature. For example, when you -Q43 , Treesoft CAD first generates the symbolic equipment code $-Q43.

If you then also copy the corresponding control section with the contacts and have the symbolic BMKs replaced, the new motor contactor will automatically be assigned a free BMK—for example -Q44. The corresponding contacts are also assigned correctly.

This allows you to:

avoid duplicate BMKs,
Copy the power and control sections one after the other,
automatically assign related equipment and contacts,
reuse existing circuits much more quickly,
and reliably reproduce complex circuit components.

This functionality also serves as an important foundation for the Treesoft circuit board configurator. What may sound complicated at first in the description becomes easy to understand after a hands-on demonstration. Once you grasp the logic, it makes project planning much easier.

Using Autoconnect Correctly

The Autoconnect feature automatically connects components to one another. The connection lines are drawn in the object type assigned to the symbol’s connection points—typically as a solid line with a line width of 0.35 mm.

But what do you do if, for once, a connection needs to be represented with a semicolon—for example, because it’s established only under certain conditions?

Creating separate symbols for every conceivable line type would be unnecessarily time-consuming. Instead, you can place free connection points on the existing connection points in the symbol and use them to control the desired appearance.

Julia explains:

the rules for setting free connection points,
which connection point is taken into account during automatic connection,
how overlapping connection points behave when moved,
what happens when you copy the icons,
and how to use different connection types without unnecessarily bloating your symbol library.

SAA/CUA Instead of Ribbon – Clear Paths to Commands

Ribbons were developed to display as many functions as possible, grouped by topic. Microsoft explicitly describes the Ribbon as a replacement for nested menus and toolbars, citing improved ease of finding functions as a key goal. This concept can be helpful for occasional users. However, when performing regularly recurring CAD tasks, the distribution of commands across different tabs often results in the need to repeatedly search for and switch between them.

Treesoft CAD therefore deliberately follows a different user interface philosophy. Our interface is based on a classic, SAA/CUA-based user interface logic. The technically correct term here is CUA—Common User Access—since CUA is the specification for user interfaces defined within the IBM Systems Application Architecture. This includes, among other things, clearly structured menus, pull-down menus, function calls, and context-sensitive dialogs.

In this workshop, we’ll show you the benefits of the Treesoft interface:

The menu structure remains clear and easy to follow.
Commands are located in consistently predictable places.
Toolbars appear based on context.
Only the toolbar required for the current task is displayed at any given time.
The canvas is not permanently reduced in size by a large ribbon.
Keyboard shortcuts and menus complement each other.
Frequently used functions can be accessed directly via ACC.

The Options command is also directly available in many menus. For example, if you open Options from the Text menu, the corresponding branch in the Options tree is automatically highlighted. This means you don’t have to search for the right setting in a lengthy dialog box.

This workshop isn’t about labeling a user interface as good or bad across the board. Instead, we’ll show you why Treesoft CAD relies on stable command paths, a compact interface, and consistent keyboard controls for day-to-day professional work—and how you can benefit from these features in your daily work.

Who is this workshop intended for?

The workshop is intended for:

New Treesoft CAD users who want to work correctly and efficiently right from the start,
experienced users who have so far only been using a portion of the available features,
Key users and administrators who set up and customize Treesoft CAD within the company,
Users who maintain their own catalogs, symbols, or standard circuits,
and anyone who not only wants to know which command to use, but also wants to understand why that command works the way it does.

Feel free to bring your questions and typical tasks from your everyday work. Julia Homberg will explain the concepts clearly, at a leisurely pace, and right within Treesoft CAD.

Discover the basics that you may already be using every day—but aren’t yet taking full advantage of.

Prices and Registration